Ramen as the Korean soul food? Not so awesome. Toenjang stew or soybean pot-stew is more of a healthy soul food. Other than that, “gochujang cream pasta”, which has traditional Korean gochujang in it, is considered sensational among many countries. It combines traditional Korean gochujang with contemporary Italian cream pasta. Nowadays, Korean traditional cuisine is receiving a global reputation with a twist of flavor that incorporates contemporary cuisine. Yet, there is still more to learn about Korean traditional cuisine, especially jang.
Kimchi, toenjang, ganjang and gochujang are the “must” items in almost every Korean household. Just like a bowl of warm oatmeal with sugar and cinnamon is the soul food of Americans, toenjang stew is no doubt the soul food of Koreans. Beloved by people of all ages and from all regions, toenjang and other traditional foods are beyond “heaven in one’s mouth.”
   
▲ A row of crocks that store jang.
Traditional toenjang developed with the agricultural expansion of Korea. Also known as the mother of Japanese soy products, Korean toenjang constituted the basic dish during the period of the Three Kingdoms. Jang is a term that includes all sorts of soy and bean products. The first phase of jang used beans as its main ingredient. Through-out the development of both the taste and the different varieties of jang, records from the past indicate that there were more than 20 kinds of jang.
   
▲ Toenjang first begins with baking soybeans.
   
▲ Soybean malt is put in a pot with salt water, pepper, and charcoal
 

Toenjang, a Mouth-watering Experiment  

Toenjang, is mainly made from beans. There is a lot of biol-ogy going on in the process of making genuine toenjang. Toenjang adds a bit of grain and salt in order to grow bene-ficial microorganisms. By adding salt during the initial stag-es, it furthermore gives a twist to the food by not requiring the adding of salt directly when eating. Toenjang has amino acids, dextrin, and some alcohol as a result of fermentation. Hence, it is a product of the wisdom of Korean ancestors trying to incorporate all flavors into a single food.  

Most Korean jang is put into a large, round pot. The owner of one traditional Korean cuisine restaurant, Kim Geum Soon (57, Seoul), says, “I tend to put more effort into choosing the pot than choosing which beans to use when it comes to toenjang.” She continues, “It is best to collect pots during July. Pots need to ‘breathe’ so I usually test the pots by putting burnt charcoal in them. When there are enough pores in the pot, the smoke will seep out through the tiny pores. Poor quality pots would not be able to let smoke es-cape.” Kim then elaborates on her explanation, “After I see that there are enough pores, I have to close them by pour-ing in hot oil. I usually use oil from pigs and sheeps. Some-times wax candles can be a good source of oil.”  

So, does all toenjang take tremendous time and effort to make? It depends on the types of toenjang. There are two types of toenjang. In a traditional way that Korea ances-tors had developed when there was not much technology in the household, people used to make the soybean malt purely from beans themselves. To do this, the hard malt is drenched in salt water in order to prevent it from getting contaminated by malicious bacteria. Until the malt is sepa-rated from the salt water, fermentation is still in progress. The fermented malt becomes toenjang after another pe-riod of fermentation with extra salt. The salt water that is used to ferment the malt is used in making ganjang, or soy sauce.  

Meanwhile, a modified method for making toenjang includes the artificial injection of a microorganism called Aspergillus oryzae. This microorganism plays a critical role in decomposing protein and starch. Contemporary manu-facturers put this microorganism into a solution of starchy ingredients. Then boiled beans and extra salt are added to the product.  

Sometimes, the process of making toenjang differs ac-cording to season. During the spring, when a household is running out of toenjang, one can make a new batch by pouring hot salt water on top of the malt. After this pro-cess, the malt is fermented in warm areas of the house. Especially in the winter, people would make toenjang by let-ting boiled beans stay at room temperature for about three days. Wrapped with rice straw, fermented beans become the host to a microorganism called Basillus subtilis. After adding some salt, this type of toenjang is what people call cheong guk jang.  

Moreover, toenjang has different recipes from region to region. While people from Hamgyeong Province make their toenjang in January, Pyeongan Province people make it in March. Kim offers her detailed knowledge of the difference between the toenjangs of the two regions. Kim expounds, “Hamgyeong people dry their soybean malt almost halfway. Then, the malt is put in salt water with rice straw. Some households put in more soy powder to add more flavor. On the other hand, Pyeongan people put in extra pepper to give the taste a bit of a twist.”  

Toenjang is the most renowned fermented bean product and it is often referred to as “meat of the farm.” It was from 1926 to 1932 that the organic ingredients of toenjang were under nutritional study conducted by Korea Seasoning Inspection (KSI). Toenjang samples collected from households around Seoul were rich in water, salinity, and soy oil. Protein was found in a relatively small amount.  
Preserving toenjang is not a difficult task. Although it is a fermented product, it has over 11 percent salt content, which prevents other harmful microorganisms from using it as a host. Meanwhile, it solidifies over time when exposed to the air, so it is not a wise idea to leave toenjang out.
   
▲ Meju is the dried malt which is taken from the salt water.
   
▲ Meju is in the stage of fermentation and healthy microorganisms grow in this stage.
   
▲ The final toenjang appears like this.
Ganjang: Everyone Loves Soy Sauce  
Ganjang, or soy sauce, is another byproduct of bean malt. Usually it is made along with toenjang. While the boiled beans are put in malt and left at room temperature for several days, there are some microorganisms from the air and rice straw that make the malt their host. Then those microorganisms release two enzymes, protease and amylase. Using fundamental biological facts, protease decomposes protein and amylase decomposes starches. This chemical process is why ganjang has its unique taste and smell. The process of making ganjang has not changed much since 1926, when the first recipe was introduced to the public. First, put an adequate amount of salt in water so that the bean malt floats. In most traditional houses, there are huge pots where craftsmen used to ferment ganjang and other foods. In that jar, place a small amount of charcoal, seven peppers, seven jujubes, 10 grams of sesame oil, and 50 grams of natural honey. Then put the malt and the salt water into the mixture of other ingredients.
   
▲ Pots are considered crucial in prior to making toenjang.
   
▲ Hanging Mejus are exposed to sunlight to be dried.
Every day the ingredients should be unsealed and ex-posed to sunlight for several hours. Through this process, beneficial microorganisms grow to add flavor to the gan-jang. After about 50 days, the liquid is boiled and the gan-jang is ready to use.  

Compared with the traditional process of making gan-jang, modified processes have taken longer time because there are more microorganisms involved and enzymes to consider. Hence, craftsmen have come up with a faster working process using ingredients other than just beans. As a result, amino ganjang or chemical soy sauce is now made.  

Amino soy sauce uses cheap protein products in order to decompose them into acids. Therefore, soy powder, wheat, and fish powder are used, at a relatively cheap price. Amino ganjang lacks the superficial taste and smell of traditional ones, yet it is affordable.  

According to Kim, there are various types of ganjang in Korea, mainly depending on their place of origin. Kim explains, “Ordinary ganjang, which nowadays people are most familiar with, is from Jeolla Province. In some regions around Mountain Jiri, they make their ganjang within 40 days, and the amount is huge when compared with that made in other areas. This is because the region lacks food sources, so people rely on ganjang and other homemade food for a long time during winter.”

Unlike toenjang, ganjang is hard to preserve at top quality. During preservation, there are microorganisms that cause the ganjang to decay easily. As a result, they will damage the taste as well as hampering the overall quality. Therefore, the most important consideration for preserving ganjang is to keep culturing microorganisms out as much as possible. With regard to this, Koreans use parahydroxy-benzoic acid to protect soy sauce from being hosted by enzymes. This acid activates to a greater degree the further you get into the fermentation process, as well.

   
▲ Gochujang was the last jang to be introduced in korea.
   
▲ 2011 Korea Food & Tourism Festival scene
Gochujang Makes One Drool  

The last traditional jang is almost everyone’s favorite seasoning, gochujang, or fermented hot pepper soybean paste. This is one of the best selling seasonings in Korea. Originating in Korea, gochujang is made by adding ground red peppers to soybean and starch. After certain periods of fermentation, the flavors of starch, peppers, and acid come together to cause one to salivate.  

As appetizing as it is, gochujang actually appeared on the table of the common people in the 16th century. When compared with toenjang and ganjang, its advent was much later since peppers were not introduced into Korea until the 16th century.  

 

Although when gochujang was introduced is not exactly known, the first record illustrating the making of gochujang was Sanlimgyeongje (sanlim means “the forest” and gyeongje means “economy”) by Hong Man Sun in 1715 during the reign of King Sook Jong of the Joseon Dynasty. This book is constituted of four volumes in total, illustrating explanations of all crop cultivation methods. To be specific, gochujang is mentioned in the chapter titled “Jomanchojangbeob (this part discusses the making of chojang, the early stage of gochujang).” Throughout history, gochujang has rapidly developed for use in dishes as Koreans “intrinsically” crave hot and spicy foods.

 

 

 

The process for making gochujang requires great care. Sticky rice is first set in a warm temperature for a couple of hours, and then soybean powder is added to it. Then pep-per powder is poured into the mixture and fermented for another 24 hours. After the fermentation process, half as much salt as red pepper is added. Unlike with soybean paste or soy sauce, gochujang is edible right after it is made.

 

 

 

There are different types of gochujang according to Kim. Kim explains, “Seoul craftsmen often make gochujang out of barley, so its color is much darker than gochujang from other regions. In Choongcheong Province they use wheat and rice to diversify its taste. Yet, probably the best gochujang is from Soonchang, Jeolla Province. It makes the best gochujang and its recipe has been kept secret for so many generations. Last of all, in Gyeongsang Province they use sweet potatoes to make gochujang. It adds a sweet twist to the peppery flavor at the end of your tongue in the end.”

 

 

 

Gochujang carries a surprisingly unique taste that encompasses all flavors. It has sweetness from the decomposed starch, the tartness of soybean protein, saltiness, and the spicy flavor from the capsaicin of red peppers which makes everyone dig into it. All these flavors harmoniously contribute to the flavor of gochujang. This is why it has a variety of tastes due to different ingredient combinations and fermentation processes.

 

 

 

Walking down the street, one can see that almost every restaurant has a dish containing red pepper paste. It is the spiciness that attracts so many people. The spiciness of go-chujang comes from a chemical called capsaicin. It is known that capsaicin constitutes about 0.01~0.02 percent of the pepper. This addictive, yet stimulating hot flavor is the prime factor that the restaurant owners should be thankful for. Spicy flavors are very useful in increasing the appetite and are also known to release stress because people sweat while taking in hot and spicy foods.

 

 

 

When it comes to preserving red pepper paste, the gas from sticky rice may create a bit of an alcoholic substance. When put in a freezer, red pepper paste can last for more than three months. The most widely used substance for preservation is sodium benzoate, which helps preserve the paste for at least two weeks without allowing any further fermentation.

 

 

 

Jang Seeks Globalization

 

 

 

“Korean sauce, jang, is a magnificent ingredient which not only enriches the flavor of a dish but also offers beneficiary factors nutritional factors,” said Biernez, the top chef at “Alicia Foundation,” a food research foundation located in Spain. Recently on January 21, many top chefs who participated in “Madrid Fusion,” one of the most prestigious culinary fairs, praised Korea’s jang including gochujang, toenjang and ganjang, as a newly rising food ingredient. Especially praised for its delicious taste and health benefits, Korea’s jang seems to have truly captivated the taste buds of gourmets worldwide.

 

 

 

Working hand in hand with the “Alicia Foundation” to further publicize Korea’s jang is “Sempio Foods,” a Korean food company that actively promotes Korean jang to overseas consumers. As a producer of high-quality fermented foods, Sempio possesses a 67-year-old traditional fermentation technology, earning itself a reputation as the main producer of traditional Korean sauces and the leading company in the globalization of Korean cuisine.

 

 

 

Sempio’s ganjang is the flagship product of the business, which one can find easily in almost every Korean household. Sempio Foods sells about one million dollars (1,093,500,000 Korean won) worth of its soy sauce products in overseas markets each year. Sempio gochujang and- toenjang also receive favorable evaluations from many jang experts for retaining the original taste of traditional Korean sauces which could be mainly due to its well-verified fermentation technology.

 

 

 

Sempio Foods started to cultivate the overseas market in the late 1990s. At that time hardly anyone abroad knew about traditional Korean sauces because of the generally low awareness of Korean cuisine itself. The company, however, was soon able to pioneer export markets through successful sales promotions throughout 68 countries including the U.S., China, and Russia. “Recently we have been especially targeting the European market. Just this January- we even set up our own Sempio booth during the ‘Madrid Fusion’ so as to introduce jang to 500 foreign chefs. We are also planning to adjust Korean jang to European food culture in order to further expand our sales,” said Ahn Hyo Jin (32, Seoul), a member of the Public Relations Department at Sempio Foods. Their movement toward globalizing Korean cuisine seemed to be highly fervent, making Sempio sauces no less popular than Korean pop culture, currently on the rise due to the recent Korean culture wave.

 

 

Further acts to invigorate the globalization of jang can be seen through the development of fusion sauces that combine traditional Korean sauces with a variety of famous foreign sauces. For instance, gochujang alioli sauce incorporates alioli, a representative Spanish sauce, into the Korean traditional sauce. Also, toenjang blue cheese sauce is another good example that eventually succeeded in attracting a lot of attention from foreigners.

 

Along with Sempio’s initial act of trying to develop western dishes incorporating jang, many restaurants in Korea are offering local food with a fusion twist. Gochujang cream pasta and ssamjang alio olio pasta are such examples. “The most important thing in globalizing jang is to develop products that foreigners can enjoy comfortably as well,” says Kim Jun Tae, (43, Seoul) the CEO of Il Faro, an Italian restaurant located in Myeong-dong. “Western dishes with a touch of Korean jang are excellent in terms of nutrition or taste, and are very marketable to the mass public. I hope to see jang one day being enjoyed by everyone regardless of nationality, becoming a true representative of Korean cuisine all over the world.”

   
▲ Gochjang cream pasta, a newly discovered fusion-dish is beloved by foreigners
Take a Journey; Travel a Road   

 

There is no doubt that the Korean sauce, jang is slowly gaining popularity around the world. However Korean cui-sine still lags behind Japanese and Chinese cuisine in terms of global recognition. In 19th-century Japan, the Japanese created their own versions of Western food such as pork cutlet or tonkatsu, curry rice and croquettes. These Japanese versions have become so popular that even they are now considered part of Japanese cuisine. Japan also succeeded in promoting Japanese traditional cuisine on a global scale. Sushi became widely accepted and is served not just in high-end restaurants, but even in convenience stores. The rise of Chinese cuisine also catches one’s attention as Chinese food is catered to a wide range of tastes and people from the high–end to the low–end. It is now time for Korea along with its neighboring countries to showcase the wonders of Korean food, or in a broad sense Asian food, to the world.

 

 

Nevertheless, the biggest stumbling block in brand-ing jang worldwide may be the Koreans themselves who still have not overcome their nationalistic viewpoint when it comes to traditional culture. A research member of the Headquarters for Local Intellectual Property and an eminent food columnist, Hwang Gyo-Ik (39, Masan) shared his in-sights on such a notion with The Granite Tower (GT). “What always made me frustrated about Koreans is that they put in too much effort advertising the excellence of our food to foreigners. We constantly go abroad giving out free sam-plings of our traditional kimchi and jang just to make one more foreigner give it a taste,” says Hwang. He seems to feel regretful of such Koreans who try to find nationalistic pride by blindly arguing the excellence of their food and pointed out the fact that he has never heard of an Italian coming into Korea to publicize the health benefits of pasta nor of a Swiss person forcing Koreans to eat their cheese.

 

Hwang further argues that Koreans do have great love and passion for their food but do not know the correct way of expressing it. He says, “We simply think that eating fac-tory manufactured jang is a tragic phenomenon because we are deviating from the traditional methods that our wise ancestors handed down to us. In fact, this is not a tragic phenomenon but rather a natural one.” Due to the advent of industrialization, the majority of citizens shifted their lifestyle from living as farmers to as laborers. Growing beans in our own garden and making jang out of them has no longer become possible. We have no choice but to con-sume jang that is mass produced in factories.

As a result, rather than complaining about how current jang has lost its true history and significance, and rather than trying to bring back traditional methods, Koreans must focus on the jang given to them right under their noses. “What you eat decides your identity. It might be difficult to change that identity but you can still try to know the true nature of it by pondering how and through what process it was made. That is the very best thing we can do as modern- day consumers who cannot control every food we eat.”

   
▲ Food columnist Hwang Gyo-Ik (39, Masan) shares his insights on how Korea should seek jang globalization.
Jang: Its Future Depends on the Hands That Purchase

 

Nowadays, as the gross national income has significantly increased and the population rushes toward the city, the way of living and eating among Koreans has been gradually changing. Jang, for some reason, is not as influential as it used to be. Households tend to avoid making traditional jang since it requires a challenging amount of labor and time. Moreover, pots on the apartment rooftop are often left neglected, leaving the jang to rot. Consequently, people are relying more on processed jang produced in factories.

Types of jang are considered a must in Korean dishes. Without jang, it is not an underestimation that one cannot understand Korean cuisine. In fact, jang is the best season-ing among all ingredients people can find in Korean dishes. Yet the task of scientifically investigating the production process, the liking, and the storability of it is required in or-der to make jang a global food.

   
▲ Biernez, top chef of “Alicia Foundation” introducing Korean jang at the “Madrid Fusion” on January 21.Provided by Sempio Foods

저작권자 © The Granite Tower 무단전재 및 재배포 금지